Donald Trump Likes Perry, Romney Not So Much

Donald Trump, who earlier this year flirted with a potential Presidential run but then backed out, again raised the possibility that he could run as a third-party candidate.

In an interview with the ABC TV network, Trump, a real estate mogul and reality show host, suggested he may consider running for the White House in the event that the GOP fails to select the “right” candidate.

During the interview, he seemed to suggest that he cannot vote for someone he’s never met personally, namely Mitt Romney.

“Well, I don’t know him,” Trump said, referring to the former Massachusetts governor. “The only one I really don’t know is Mitt Romney. Nobody seems to know him. So maybe I’ll get to know him, maybe I won’t, I don’t know. But I really don’t know him.”

Trump added about Romney: “But if you look at his record as governor, it wasn't totally stellar. His job production was not great at all. In fact, it was the third worst in the nation. There are some pretty negative things with respect to Mitt Romney, which frankly he's going to have to overcome.

However, he is impressed by the latest entrant, Texas governor Rick Perry.

“I think he's a very impressive guy,” Trump declared.

“I've spoken to him a number of times. He's going to come and see me next week. And I think he's a very impressive guy with a very good record. So it'll be interesting to see how he does under the spotlight. It's a big spotlight. But Texas is a big spotlight, also. I think he's going to do very well. I think he is going to be very interesting. And I think he's going to do very well.”

Trump defended Perry from the flack he received over making comments that Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke is “treasonous” for printing too much money. Trump further said Perry is ready to be president.

“He's been governor of Texas for a long time,” he said. “Texas has done very well. I think he's very ready. No, he's a tough guy. He's a smart guy and he wants to-- hey, he's like everybody else in this country. We're all frustrated. He's very frustrated and he's probably angry. So I think he has the right to show some emotion.”

Trump also responded to the recent hubbub over Warren Buffet declaring that the wealthy should pay more taxes. “I can also tell you that a lot of people will go elsewhere to do business if you start taxing them,” Trump said. “You already have an exodus out of this country. But you’re going to have a mass exodus of business out of this country when you start taxing too high.”